George Owen (footballer)
Encyclopedia
George Alfred Owen was a Welsh
footballer who played as an inside forward
for Newton Heath
in the late 1880s. He also made four appearances for the Welsh national team
.
Born in Chirk
, Denbighshire
, Owen began his career with his local team, Chirk
, before joining Newton Heath in January 1889. At the time of his signing, he was one of three Owens at the club, the other two being brothers Jack and William Owen. Owen played for Newton Heath for 1½ seasons, during which time he made 19 competitive appearances and scored five goals. In June 1890, Owen was transferred to West Manchester, before moving back to Chirk the following season. Two years with Druids followed, before he returned to Chirk for the final time in 1895. He retired from professional football in 1896, at the age of 31.
Owen also made four appearances for the Welsh national team. He made his debut for Wales while still with Chirk on 10 March 1888 in a British Home Championship
match against Scotland
; Wales lost the match 5–1. His two Wales caps won as a Newton Heath player came in the 1889 British Home Championship
, in which he played in Wales' last two games: a 0–0 draw with Scotland and a 3–1 win over Ireland. Owen had to wait a further three years for his final Wales appearance, a match in which he scored his only goals for his country: a hat-trick in a 4–3 loss to Ireland.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
footballer who played as an inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
for Newton Heath
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the late 1880s. He also made four appearances for the Welsh national team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
Born in Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Owen began his career with his local team, Chirk
Chirk AAA F.C.
Chirk AAA F.C. is a Welsh football team based in Chirk, Wales. They have been competing in the Premier division of the Welsh National League since their relegation after one season in the Cymru Alliance.....
, before joining Newton Heath in January 1889. At the time of his signing, he was one of three Owens at the club, the other two being brothers Jack and William Owen. Owen played for Newton Heath for 1½ seasons, during which time he made 19 competitive appearances and scored five goals. In June 1890, Owen was transferred to West Manchester, before moving back to Chirk the following season. Two years with Druids followed, before he returned to Chirk for the final time in 1895. He retired from professional football in 1896, at the age of 31.
Owen also made four appearances for the Welsh national team. He made his debut for Wales while still with Chirk on 10 March 1888 in a British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
; Wales lost the match 5–1. His two Wales caps won as a Newton Heath player came in the 1889 British Home Championship
1889 British Home Championship
The 1889 British Home Championship was the sixth international football tournament between the British Home Nations and as with all but one of the previous tournaments, Scotland won, beating England by one point to take the championship...
, in which he played in Wales' last two games: a 0–0 draw with Scotland and a 3–1 win over Ireland. Owen had to wait a further three years for his final Wales appearance, a match in which he scored his only goals for his country: a hat-trick in a 4–3 loss to Ireland.